La Résistance
by suzie2b
Summary: And a little H/C for good measure. The Rat Patrol go after some missing Resistance fighters.


**Disclaimer:** _ **The Rat Patrol**_ **is not my property. They come out to play sometimes, then I send them home.**

 **La Résistance**

 **By Suzie2b**

 **The Rat Patrol had been sent to pick up four members of the French Resistance from a British battalion camped outside the capital city of Niamey in Niger. However, when they arrived they were told the four never arrived with the small convoy they were to be with.**

 **Major Walker said, "They never even met the convoy. There's been no word about them at all since they contacted us three days ago."**

 **Troy asked, "Any idea what they were carrying, sir?"**

 **The major shook his head. "Only that it was important to the North African Campaign."**

 **Moffitt said, "So, we're to assume they've been taken prisoner. Where were they coming here from, sir?"**

" **They were to meet the convoy in Sangha, Mali. They had been in Algeria, which is apparently where they picked up the information."**

 **Troy questioned, "Do you want us to go look for them, major?"**

 **Walker said, "I heard from headquarters and they want to know what they'd gotten their hands on."**

 **##################**

 **It took about fourteen hours to reach Sangha. From there they tried to backtrack to Algeria. It was in the border town of Bordj Badji Mokhtar that they heard talk about a German battalion dug in about 160 kilometers west.**

 **Moffitt and Tully were in a local bar in search of information when Moffitt caught the conversation in Arabic at a table next to them. Tully could tell the sergeant was hearing something interesting when his expression changed. Then Moffitt said, "I think we have what we came for. Let's go." When they met up with Troy and Hitch, the sergeant said, "A German battalion has set up camp west of here."**

 **Troy frowned as he checked one of the maps he'd spread on the hood of the jeep in search of likely places to look for the missing Frenchmen. "Intelligence doesn't have it on any of our maps."**

" **From what I could gather they've been there for less than a month. The locals aren't too happy about it."**

 **Hitch said, "Our Intelligence probably doesn't know about it anymore than we did."**

 **Tully said, "Could be those French Resistance people were captured and taken there."**

 **Troy nodded. "Let's find out."**

 **##################**

 **Fifteen-year-old Chace Petit was escorted into Major Scholz's tent and pushed into a chair in front of a desk. The major dismissed the guard to wait outside as he turned from the stack of papers on a table to look at his young prisoner. "Êtes-vous prêt à répondre à quelques questions?"**

 **The boy growled, "Your French is very good … but I do not appreciate it coming from your German mouth."**

 **Major Scholz chuckled as he sat down. "You appear very young to be part of La Résistance." The boy simply glared at the major. "What is your name?"**

" **Chace Petit."**

" **And your age?"**

" **Fifteen."**

 **The major asked, "How did you and your friends come to possess the documents that were found on your father?" The look of surprise made Scholz smile. "Even before you told me your name I knew Monsieur Jules Petit was your father. You look that much alike." The boy schooled his expression and remained silent. "Now, answer the question. Where did you get the documents?"**

 **Chace said angrily, "I will tell you nothing! None of us will!"**

 **##################**

 **The two jeeps pulled in behind the hills and stopped. Troy and Moffitt went to the top and scanned the area with binoculars. After several seconds, Troy said, "There it is."**

 **Moffitt shifted to look where Troy pointed. "Yes. It's well concealed in these hills. Maybe we should try to get closer for a better look."**

 **The sun was going down as they found a place above the camp where they could keep an eye out without being seen. Hitch was first on watch, but the only sign there might be prisoners was one tent that had two German soldiers standing outside the door. Then he saw a boy being escorted from one tent to another. Hitch hurried down the hill and reported, "I just saw two guards taking a kid across the camp to that tent that's being guarded. The way the prisoner is dressed screams French partisan."**

 **Troy, Moffitt, and Tully followed Hitch back and he pointed out the tent the Frenchman was taken to. Troy stared at the tent through binoculars and asked, "You only saw the one prisoner?"**

 **Hitch nodded. "Yeah. Do you think they're keeping them together?"**

 **Moffitt said, "There aren't any guards on any of the other tents."**

 **Tully looked at Hitch and asked, "You said a 'kid'. How old do you think?"**

 **Hitch shrugged. "Fourteen or fifteen maybe."**

 **Moffitt said, "It's unfortunate, but the French Resistance does allow children to fight with them. He could be with his father or a brother."**

 **Tully sighed. "Are we going in tonight to pull 'em out?"**

 **Troy shook his head. "Not until we know for sure where the other three are. We'll see what happens in the morning."**

 **##################**

 **Tully was on watch when the sun came up. He looked down the hill to see that Troy, Moffitt, and Hitch were up and about. He turned back in time to see guards escort four prisoners out of the tent they'd been watching all night. Tully turned and gave a short shrill whistle to get the others attention, then waved them up.**

 **The three men and one boy, with their hands bound behind them, were taken out to the hillside below where the allies watched from hiding. The boy and one of the men were held back as the other two were marched out to stand with their backs to the rocky hill.**

 **Five Germans armed with rifles followed their captain out to stand in front of the two men.**

 **Troy, Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully watched as the boy yelled frantically and struggled against the hands that held him back, "No! You cannot do this! Papa!"**

 **Jules Petit looked stoically at his son. He told the boy to be brave and to tell the Germans nothing. "Soyez courageux, mon fils. Leur dire rien."**

 **Then, as the Rat Patrol watched helplessly from above, the captain read from a document. His booming voice echoed off the surrounding hills as he told the two men in English that they had been found guilty of espionage and would be executed by firing squad. He didn't ask if they understood what was said, or even offer the prisoners blindfolds. The captain raised his arm and said loudly, "Fertig! Ziel! Feuer!" As his arm came down with the last word, the squad dispatched the two Frenchmen.**

 **Just before the shots rang out both men called out, "Vive la French!"**

 **The boy fell to his knees when the two men went down, dead before hitting the ground. Chace began to cry after putting on a brave face for his father. One of the guards reached down to pull the boy up, but the Frenchman beside him growled, "Do not touch him!" Then he knelt and told the boy he couldn't help him and he must get up. "Je ne peux pas vous aider. Vous devez vous lever."**

 **Troy, Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully watched as the boy slowly rose to his feet with his friend next to him. Without a backwards glance they were escorted back to their tent. The two dead men were dragged off to be buried in an unmarked grave.**

 **##################**

 **Less than ten minutes after the execution Chace Petit was taken to Major Scholz's tent. His hands were no long bound, but the marks on his wrists were a reminder of what had happened.**

 **After the boy was seated, Major Scholz said, "Now we shall talk."**

 **Chace glared hatefully at the major, but said nothing.**

 **Scholz sighed. "Who gave your father the documents? If there is a German helping the allies by passing information I must know who he is."**

 **Chace held his head high. His eyes were red from crying and dark with rage. "I will tell you nothing!" The major shook his head wearily as the boy continued, "And what will you do to me? Have me executed like you did my father and my friend** **Aramis Vincent! Well, I welcome it! I will gladly die for my cause!"**

 **Major Scholz said with frustration, "It is unfortunate, but whether you tell me what I want to know or not … you and Giles Durand will be executed. It will just be a much quicker death if you give me the information I require."**

 **##################**

 **Troy had sent Hitch and Tully back to the jeeps to get ready. He and Moffitt watched from their vantage point as the boy was taken to the other tent. Thirty minutes later they saw the boy escorted back, this time with bruises and cuts to his face.**

 **When Troy and Moffitt joined Hitch and Tully, Troy said, "The boy's been interrogated and beaten. Let's go get them before there's any more questioning done."**

 **They moved quickly and quietly into the German camp. It was obvious that the Germans weren't expecting company, or there would've been more guards. When they reached the back of the tent that held the prisoners, Troy signaled Tully to make an opening.**

 **Tully's sharp, long-bladed knife sliced through the canvas like a hot knife through butter.**

 **When Troy looked inside he saw the Frenchman cleaning blood off the boy's face. "Psst!" When they turned at the quiet sound, Troy silently signaled them to come, which they did without hesitation.**

 **Outside, Giles whispered, "Who are you?"**

 **Moffitt held a finger to his lips and gently prodded them to follow Troy.**

 **They almost made it, but then the alarm went up that prisoners had escaped. Seconds later they were spotted and the shooting began. As Hitch and Tully laid down cover fire, Troy and Moffitt tried to get out with the prisoners.**

 **Hitch caught a German taking aim at Moffitt's back and cut him down as the shot was fired. Instead of hitting the sergeant in the back, the bullet gave him a glancing blow to the arm. Chace saw Moffitt jerk and momentarily fall to one knee. He glanced back and saw the fallen German's rifle. Not giving anyone time to react, the boy broke away and ran for the weapon.**

 **Tully saw the movement and turned as Chace began to fire. The boy got off three shots before Tully could get there to knock him down. As quick as he was though, he just wasn't quick enough, as bullets tore through Chace's body. Tully was hit as he grabbed for the boy and went down on top of him. He was struggling to get up when Hitch's strong arms supported him and he saw the Frenchman pick up the boy.**

 **##################**

 **Through a hail of gunfire, they managed to get back to the jeeps and away from the German camp.**

 **As soon as they knew they weren't being followed, the jeeps pulled into the cover of a wadi. Blankets were laid out for Tully and Chace. Giles cradled the mortally wounded boy in his arms.**

 **Hitch and Moffitt helped Tully down so Moffitt could examine the wound in his back. Tully said quietly, "I tried to get to him…"**

 **With tears in his eyes, Giles said, "This is not your fault. He was angry. He wanted revenge for his father's death."**

 **Chace took a wheezing breath as he opened his eyes. He coughed up blood as Giles tried to sooth him. Chace's voice was little more than a whisper when he asked, "We are free?"**

 **Giles nodded. "Yes, Chace, we are free."**

 **The boy coughed up more blood before he said with his last breath, "Vive la French."**

 **Giles kissed Chace's cheek and whispered, "Vive la French."**

 **Troy and Hitch helped Giles bury the fifteen-year-old French Resistance fighter.**

 **Tully watched them as Moffitt bandaged the wound in his back before tending to his own arm. The last few shovelfuls of dirt were thrown onto the grave when Moffitt quietly asked, "Morphine?"**

 **Tully shook his head. "Not yet. Help me up."**

 **Not questioning the request, Moffitt helped Tully to his feet and supported him as they walked to the grave. Hitch put an arm around his friend for extra support as Giles began to recite** _ **The Lord's Prayer**_ **in French.**

 **Notre Père, qui es aux cieux, Que ton nom soit sanctifié, Que ton règne vienne, Que ta volonté soit faite sur la terre comme au ciel.**

 **Donne-nous aujourd'hui notre pain de ce jour. Pardonne-nous nos offences Comme nous pardonnons aussi à ceux qui nous ont offensés. Et ne nous soumets pas à la tentation, mais délivre-nous du mal, car c'est à toi qu'appartiennent le règne, la puissance et la gloire, aux siècles des siècles.**

 **Amen.**

 **##################**

 **A field hospital was located in Mali and the bullet was taken out of Tully's back. The day after surgery Tully awoke from yet another nap to find Moffitt sitting next to him. He frowned at the bandage on his friend's arm and said quietly, "Didn't know you got hit."**

 **Moffitt smiled. "It's just a flesh wound. How're you feeling?"**

" **Stiff … sore … ready to get outta here."**

" **Well, the doctor says they're going keep you for a few more days."**

 **Tully yawned before he smiled and said, "What do doctors know? I'm fine." Then he sobered and asked, "How's Giles doing?"**

 **Moffitt said sadly, "He's mourning. He lost three close friends out there."**

" **Why would they take a kid like Chace into the Resistance?"**

" **According to Giles, Jules lost his wife, Chace's mother, in an air raid. Jules then joined La Résistance and his son ran away from the aunt and uncle he'd been left with to be with his father and fight." Moffitt caught the look on his friend's face and said, "I know it's hard to understand. But what would you have done in Chace's place?"**

 **Tully thought about it, then sighed and said, "Probably the same thing. But if I were his father, I'd have made sure my son went right back to his aunt and uncle."**

 **Moffitt smiled. "I feel much the same way. However, the French Resistance isn't a military army like the ones you and I fight with. It's not unusual to find women and teenagers fighting alongside their husbands, fathers, or siblings."**

" **It's just sad."**

" **Yes, it is sad. But it would be a whole different war without our French allies."**

 **Tully asked, "What about those documents they had?"**

 **Moffitt said, "Giles says they each memorized them. He'll be sent to headquarters in England to have what's in his head put to paper."**

" **And that German camp?"**

" **Troy let Captain Boggs know where it's located. We'll just him made that decision." Then Moffitt saw that Tully was beginning to fade toward sleep again and he smiled as he said, "Well, I'm going to let you get some rest. At least one of us will be by later."**

 **Tully shifted to get more comfortable. "Thanks, sarge. I appreciate the visits." He watched Moffitt leave, then closed his eyes and whispered, "Vive la French."**

 **##################**

 **In case anyone is unfamiliar with** _ **The Lord's Prayer**_ **, here it is in English.**

 **Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.**

 **For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever.**

 **Amen.**


End file.
